Question:
I know that others hate it, others enjoy its rich culture. I'm just not sure why people besides the Japanese have a strong affection and passion for Japan. It's clearly not a bad thing. I'm just wondering why otakus love every aspect about it and sometimes becomes BIASED about the topic. I know couple people at school who is in LOVE with every part and section of Japan. I know it's not a bad thing but it certainly does get annoying after a while. (Constantly talking about Japan, discussing animes/ mangas/reading comics all day..ectc..)
Just throwing this question out there.
Does/did anyone experience the same thing as me?
Answer:
I think a lot of people FEEL that Japan has a strange attraction that other countries don't have however, if you spend time in language classes, you'll find that there are people who have a special love for all kinds of countries!
I have friends who absolutely LOVE Latin America and its culture, food, dances, people, etc. I got sick of hearing about Mexico and Argentina sometimes.
I also have friends who are crazy about East Africa. Once again, they love the people, culture, etc. I never get sick of their talk though. I am also somewhat interested in this region though.
The same for China, France, Germany, Russia, etc.
I know people who are fascinated by each of these places!
HOW/WHY they get interested varies.
-Sometimes it is due to cultural exports (for Japan that would be anime, manga, video games, fashion, etc. Even strange things like pornography has been known to get people interested in other aspects of Japanese culture) These are the people you seem to be thinking of.
-Some people really like certain aspects of a regions history (Maybe the Meiji Period is interesting or someone really likes samurai)
-Some people actually get interested through food. They go to a sushi restaurant, shabu shabu, or whatever and want to learn more about the cuisine.
-Some people are attracted to what's "exotic" and "different" to them, so they become interested in Asia but not Europe, for example, because America/Canada has more in common with Europe so it can seem less exotic. This can also come from a feeling that someone doesn't fit into their own culture/society and so they seek out others that they feel will accept them more. This is also very typical of the otaku-types. Many of them believe Japan is a place where they can fit in. Most of them have a warped idea about Japan. Some grow out of it, some hold onto the dream but don't go, and others actually visit Japan. Often they are disappointed to find out that Japan is not what they imagined.
-Many people become interested in specific places as a result of positive experiences with someone from that place. If you have Indian friends, you may become interested in India and want to learn more about it.
-Travel is another reason, and it's pretty easy to see why! If you actually visit Japan and you like it, you may want to learn more about it and hope to return someday. Even pictures can do the trick. Someone who likes gardens may be interested in Japan after seeing pictures of Japanese gardens and from there learn about Buddhism, etc. since there is a connection between some gardens and the religion.
I know exactly the types you are talking about but as I mentioned above, many of them will grow out of it. Most have a very shallow interest in Japan and are not serious about studying Japanese or truly understanding Japanese culture. Some do and they will pursue it further but most will get bored when they realize learning the language takes effort and the Japanese people are more normal than they thought.
